Shower curtain retention device

ABSTRACT

An illustrated view of an exemplary shower curtain retention device for preventing a shower curtain from clinging to a person is presented. The shower curtain retention device is useful for restraining a shower curtain from clinging to a person taking a shower. The shower curtain retention device is cost effective, efficient and long lasting. The shower curtain retention device further provides a more pleasant showering experience and a more efficient showering experience by eliminating the shower curtain from making contact with the person showering. The shower curtain retention device thus reduces water usage by allowing the person to continue with the showering instead of fighting to keep the shower curtain away.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to shower curtains. More particularly, it relatesto a device for retention of the shower curtain.

BACKGROUND

A shower is a place in which a person bathes under a spray of typicallywarm or hot water. Indoors, there is a drain in the floor. Most showershave temperature, spray pressure and adjustable showerhead nozzle. Thesimplest showers have a swiveling nozzle aiming down on the user, whilemore complex showers have a showerhead connected to a hose that has amounting bracket. This allows the showerer to hold the showerhead byhand to spray the water at different parts of their body. A shower canbe installed in a small shower stall or bathtub with a plastic showercurtain or door. Showering k common in Western culture due to theefficiency of using it compared with a bathtub. Its use in hygiene is,therefore, common practice.

Curtains can be used in shower or bathtub enclosures with two mainpurposes: to provide privacy and to prevent water from flooding orspraying outside the shower or bathtub area. Shower and bathtub curtainsusually surround the bath inside the tub or shower area and are held upwith railings or curtain rods high on the wall or ceiling. Toaccommodate the different types of bathtub shapes, railings can come indifferent sizes and are flexible in their design.

Some people use two shower curtains: one that is inside the tub, whichis mainly functional or decorative as well, and an outer shower curtain,which is purely decorative. The bottom portion of the inner curtainoften comes with magnetic discs or suction cups which adhere to thebathtub itself. These curtains are typically made from a water barriermaterial, such as, but not limited to: vinyl, cloth, plastic, etc.

The curtain protects a floor of a bathroom from being inundated withwater from the shower and can cause damage to the floor, commode,cabinet, walls, etc. in the bathroom. The curtain while protecting thebathroom from water can be cumbersome to open and close after havingtaken a shower. Further, the curtain can cling to a person taking ashower or when exiting the shower area.

Accordingly, and in light of the foregoing, there is a need for a devicethat can reduce or eliminate the clinging of the curtain when the personis in the shower area or leaving the shower area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is an illustrated view of an exemplary shower curtain retentiondevice.

FIG. 1B is an illustrated a front view and a back view of the exemplaryshower curtain retention device shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is an illustrated use of the exemplary shower curtain retentiondevice shown in FIG. 1A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in various embodiments,” “in someembodiments,” and the like are used repeatedly. Such phrases do notnecessarily refer to the same embodiment. The terms “comprising,”“having,” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictatesotherwise. Such terms do not generally signify a closed list.

“Above,” “adhesive,” “affixing,” “any,” “around,” “both,” “bottom,”“by,” “comprising,” “consistent,” “customized,” “enclosing,” “friction,”“in,” “labeled,” “lower,” “magnetic,” “marked,” “new,” “nominal,” “not,”“of,” “other,” “outside,” “outwardly,” “particular,” “permanently,”“preventing,” “raised,” “respectively,” “reversibly,” “round,” “square,”“substantial,” “supporting,” “surrounded,” “surrounding,” “threaded,”“to,” “top,” “using,” “wherein,” “with,” or other such descriptorsherein are used in their normal yes-or-no sense, not as terms of degree,unless context dictates otherwise.

Reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments asillustrated in the drawings. While embodiments are described inconnection with the drawings and related descriptions, there is nointent to limit the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein. On thecontrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications andequivalents. In alternate embodiments, additional devices, orcombinations of illustrated devices, may be added to, or combined,without limiting the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Referring to FIG. 1A, an illustrated view of an exemplary shower curtainretention device 100 for preventing a shower curtain from clinging to aperson is presented. The shower curtain retention device 100 is usefulfor restraining a shower curtain from clinging to a person taking ashower. The shower curtain retention device 100 is cost effective,efficient and long lasting. The shower curtain retention device 100further provides a more pleasant showering experience and a moreefficient showering experience by eliminating the shower curtain frommaking contact with the person showering. The shower curtain retentiondevice 100 thus reduces water usage by allowing the person to continuewith the showering instead of fighting to keep the shower curtain away.Further when the shower curtain is restrained from coming into theshower, the amount of water escaping the showering area is reduced.

The shower curtain retention device 100 has a reel system 200 and areceiving device 300.

The receiving device 300 is preferably has a round shape, however othershapes are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, oval,square, rectangular, etc. A first side 301 of the receiving device 300is preferably magnetic, however other types of receiving devices arehereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, a clip, a snap, etc.A second side 302 of the receiving device 302 has a second couplingdevice 303. The second coupling device is preferably an adhesive strip,however other types of coupling devices are hereby contemplated,including, but not limited to, two-sided tape, glue, etc.

The reel system 200 of the shower curtain retention device 100 has areel 210, a first coupling device 240, a rope 270 and a pulling device290. The reel 210 has an inside 211.

A first side 213 of the reel 210 is coupled to a first wall (see FIG.1C) of a bathtub enclosure (see FIG. 1C) by a first coupling device 240.The first coupling device 240 is preferably an adhesive strip, howeverother types of coupling devices are hereby contemplated, including, butnot limited to, two-sided tape, a clip, a snap, etc.

The rope 270 is wound on the inside 211 of the reel 210 such that atleast six feet (6′) of the rope 270 is available for use in the showercurtain retention device 100. A second end 272 of the rope 270 iscoupled to a locking mechanism 273. The locking mechanism 273 is furthercoupled to a first end 291 of the pulling device 290. A second end 292of the pulling device 290 is preferably magnetic.

When the rope 270 is pulled by the pulling device 290 and is extendedfrom the reel 210, the locking mechanism 273 is released from an inside211 of the reel 210 and the rope 270 is extended from the reel 210. Thesecond end 292 of the pulling device 290 is then securely coupled to thefirst side 301 of the receiving device 300. The rope 270 is thenretracted into the inside 211 of the reel 200 such that the rope becometaut.

When the pulling device 290 is released from the receiving device 300,the rope 270 is retracted into the inside 211 of the reel 210 such thatthe rope 270 recoils onto the reel 210. The locking mechanism 273removably couples into the reel 210 such that the pulling device 290remains outside of the reel 210.

Moving now to FIG. 1B, an illustrated front view 400 and back view 500of the exemplary shower curtain retention device shown in FIG. 1A ispresented.

The front view 400 presents the reel 210 where the rope 270 is extendedfrom the inside 211 of the reel 210. The rope 270 is coupled to thepulling device 290.

The back view 500 presents the reel 270 where the first side 213 isshown coupled with the first coupling device 240. The rope 270 iscoupled to the inside 211 of the reel 210 and further coupled to thepulling device 290.

Further between the front view 400 and the back view 500 of the reel 200is the receiving device 300. The first side 301 of the receiving device300 is configured to be securely coupled to the second side 292 of thepulling device 290 preferably by a magnetic field.

Moving now to FIG. 1C, an illustrated use of the shower curtainretention device 100 is presented.

A shower 600 is shown for an inside 601 of the shower 600. The shower500 has a first wall 610, a second wall 620, a tub 630, a shower head640, a shower rod 650 and a shower curtain 660. The shower rod 650 iscoupled to the first wall 610 and the second wall 620.

The shower curtain 660 has an inside 661 and a top 662. The top 662 ofthe shower curtain 600 is removably coupled to the shower rod 650 by aplurality of shower rings 651. The shower head 640 is coupled to thefirst wall 610 and provides water to the shower 600 when in an onposition.

References to the shower curtain retainer device 100 are shown in FIG.1A and only those references referred to in FIG. 1C will be presented.

The reel 210 is coupled to the first wall 610 at a desired location andheight on the inside 601 of the shower 600. The receiving device 300 iscoupled to the second wall 620 of the shower 600 at a same height of thedesired location of the reel 210.

The pulling device 290 is coupled to the rope 270 which is containedwithin the reel 210. The pulling device 290 is then pulled by the persontaking the shower once the shower curtain 660 has been closed at thesame height as the reel 210.

The rope 270 is pulled by the pulling device 290. The pulling device 290is coupled to the receiving device 300. Once the pulling device 290 iscoupled to the receiving device 300, the rope 270 is retracted by thereel system 200 and becomes taut.

Once the person has finished their showering. The person releases thepulling device 290 from the receiving device 300. The rope 270 is thenretracted into the inside 211 of the reel 200 and the locking mechanism273 coupled to the rope 270 is removably coupled to the reel 210 priorto entering into the inside 211 of the reel 210. The person then opensthe shower curtain 660 to dry off. The shower curtain retention device100 is now ready to be used for a subsequent shower.

In the numbered clauses below, specific combinations of aspects andembodiments are articulated in a shorthand form such that (1) accordingto respective embodiments, for each instance in which a “component” orother such identifiers appear to be introduced (with “a” or “an,” e.g.)more than once in a given chain of clauses, such designations may eitheridentify the same entity or distinct entities; and (2) what might becalled “dependent” clauses below may or may not incorporate, inrespective embodiments, the features of “independent” clauses to whichthey refer or other features described above.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing specificexemplary processes and/or devices and/or technologies arerepresentative of more general processes and/or devices and/ortechnologies taught elsewhere herein, such as in the claims filedherewith and/or elsewhere in the present application.

The features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied toother embodiments or combined with or interchanged with the features ofother embodiments, as appropriate, without departing from the scope ofthe present invention.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled inthe art from consideration of the specification and practice of theinvention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification andexamples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spiritof the invention being indicated by the following claims.

1. A shower curtain retention device for preventing a shower curtainfrom clinging to a person, the device consisting of: a reel system, thereel system comprising: a reel, the reel having an inside and a firstside, the reel being coupled to a first wall of a shower; a lockingmechanism; a rope, the rope having a second end, the locking mechanismis coupled to the second end of the rope, the rope being coiled on theinside of the reel; a pulling device, the pulling device having a firstend and a second end, the first end of the pulling device being coupledto the locking mechanism coupled to the second end of the rope, thesecond end of the pulling device being magnetic, and wherein when thepulling device is configured to pull the rope, the locking mechanismreleases the rope from the reel; a first coupling device, the firstcoupling device being coupled to the first side of the reel; and areceiving device, the receiving device having a first side and a secondside, wherein the first side of the receiving device being magnetic,wherein the first side of the receiving device is magnetically coupledto the second side of the pulling device by a second coupling device. 2.The device of claim 1, wherein the first coupling device is an adhesivestrip.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the second coupling device isan adhesive strip.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the rope is made ofa nylon material.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the rope isconfigured to extend at least six (6) feet from the reel.
 6. The deviceof claim 1, wherein the first coupling device couples the first side ofthe reel to a first wall of a shower enclosure.
 7. The device of claim1, wherein the second coupling device couples the receiving device to asecond wall of a shower enclosure.
 8. A shower curtain retention devicefor preventing a shower curtain from clinking to a person, the deviceconsisting of: a reel system, the reel system comprising: a reel, thereel having an inside and a first side, the reel being coupled to afirst wall of a shower; a locking mechanism; a rope, the rope having asecond end, the locking mechanism is coupled to the second end of therope, the rope being coiled on the inside of the reel, wherein the ropeis made of a nylon material, wherein the rope is configured to extend atleast six (6) feet from the reel; a pulling device, the pulling devicehaving a first end and a second end, the first end of the pulling devicebeing coupled to the locking mechanism coupled to the second end of therope, the second end of the pulling device being magnetic, and whereinwhen the pulling device is configured to pull the rope, the lockingmechanism releases the rope from the reel; a first coupling device, thefirst coupling device being coupled to the first side of the reel,wherein the first coupling device is an adhesive strip; and a receivingdevice, the receiving device having a first side and a second side,wherein the first side of the receiving device being magnetic, whereinthe first side of the receiving device is magnetically coupled to thesecond side of the pulling device by a second coupling device, whereinthe second coupling device is an adhesive strip, wherein the secondcoupling device couples the receiving device to a second wall of ashower enclosure, wherein the first coupling device couples the firstside of the reel to a first wall of a shower enclosure.